Deep Dive into Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1.8: Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms - Psalm 10

Augustine's exposition of Psalm 10 addresses the Psalmist's lament about God's seeming absence, suggesting it's a purposeful delay to inflame the longing of the righteous and make the divine "fountain of life" sweeter. This delay also serves to highlight truth through contrast, as the vaunting of the ungodly inflames the good hope of the poor, and the existence of heresies makes the discovery of truth more profound.Sin, according to Augustine, ensnares through flattery and the absence of reproof, leading to a state where "God is not in his sight", a spiritual blindness resulting in polluted thoughts and a denial of divine judgment. The prosperity of the wicked, far from being a blessing, can signify God's greater anger, a withholding of correction before a more severe judgment.Augustine interprets Psalm 10 through the lens of eschatology, seeing in it a prophecy of the Antichrist, who will employ both violence in his empire and craft through deceptive miracles to persecute the righteous. This third persecution will be the most perilous.The "poor" in the Psalm represent the righteous and humble, whose hope lies in God's ultimate justice. They cry out for God's manifest judgment, in contrast to the present age of hidden judgments where the wicked seem to prosper. This future judgment will vindicate the "orphan and the humble" and break the power of the ungodly.Finally, Augustine reflects on the "hidden things of the Son," suggesting they relate to the mysteries of God's timing, including Christ's second advent, while the end of the Psalm hints at the manifest glory and judgment to come. He also addresses Christ's dual nature as both Lord and Son of David.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed